Woodpeckers of Maryland: Types, Attracting, Range Maps (2024)

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In the state of Maryland, woodpeckers are a common sight. From the striking red-headed woodpecker to the exotic pileated species, these birds can be spotted in urban and wilderness areas alike.

With seven different species calling this state home – Red-Headed Woodpecker, Red-Bellied Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Downy Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and Hairy Woodpecker – it is no surprise that many birdwatchers flock here in search of them.

Not only do they provide visual interest but their unique drumming calls add an auditory element to your outdoor experience as well.

Types of Woodpeckers in Maryland

There are seven species of woodpeckers that call Maryland home, including the red-headed woodpecker with its vibrant red head; the red-bellied woodpecker with black and white barred back; the northern flicker with yellow underwings; the downy woodpecker, small and black-and-white; the pileated woodpecker, largest in the state; the hairy woodpecker with a long bill; and the yellow-bellied sapsucker found in birch forests.

Detailed information on each species helps identify these energetic birds when you encounter them across the great state of Maryland.

Red-Headed Woodpecker

You’ll recognize this woodpecker by its vibrant red head and black patches as it hunts insects midair and stores food in tree cavities across farms, swamps, and pine savannas.

• Vibrant red head with black patches
• Hunts insects midair
• Stores food in tree cavities
• Found in open woodlands and pine savannas

The red-headed woodpecker can be identified by its striking crimson head and contrasting black patches. This agile bird catches insects on the wing and caches food supplies inside the hollows of trees.

It frequents open woodlands, pine forests, farms and swamplands across its range.

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Look for that handsome red-headed woodpecker’s cousin—the red-bellied woodpecker—aggressively guarding your backyard feeders with its rolling churr call. This year-round resident drills into dead trees for insects, then greedily descends on your feeders for seeds and fruit.

Plant native grapes, elderberries, and dogwoods to nourish these raucous woodpeckers; you’ll find them tapping around deciduous and pine forests across the eastern half of North America.

Northern Flicker

Why, you might confuse the Northern Flicker’s wicka-wicka-wicka call for an old-timey telegram in Maryland! The Northern Flicker is known for:

1. Flashing its brilliant yellow underwings during undulating flight.
2. Digging for ants with its long, barbed tongue.
3. Favoring open habitats like orchards, fields, and parks.
4. Migrating at night in flocks to its wintering grounds in the southeastern US.

This ground-foraging woodpecker certainly makes its boisterous presence known with its loud ringing calls. Look for it rummaging through leaf litter or perched high while scouting for insect prey.

Downy Woodpecker

The Downy Woodpecker is a small, common backyard bird for you to enjoy in Maryland. Found year-round in woodlands and parks, this little black-and-white woodpecker with red markings visits feeders readily.

You’ll hear its short peek calls and rapid drumming as it clings to tree trunks and branches. Offer black oil sunflower seeds, suet, peanuts, and nest boxes with entrance holes 1 1/8 to 1 1/4 inches for breeding pairs.

Providing dead trees and snags attract insects for its diet. A heated birdbath lets you observe this lively bird on cold days.

Pileated Woodpecker

After admiring the acrobatic Downy, now set your sights on the Pileated, Maryland’s mighty, crimson-crested carpenter.

1. Powerful beak excavating rectangular holes
2. Thunderous hammering echoes through the forest
3. Raucous cuk-cuk call reveals its presence
4. Majestic flight displays red crest and white stripes

The Pileated Woodpecker, though increasingly rare, remains an iconic resident of Maryland’s mature forests.

Hairy Woodpecker

You’d recognize the hairy woodpecker’s short peek and rattling calls as it busily drills into trees foraging for insects in woodlands near your home. Though similar to the petite downy woodpecker, the hairy sports a longer bill and no red spot on its head.

These year-round residents prefer mature woods and parks, excavating nests in dead trees while avoiding the busy neighborhoods favored by their downy cousins. Conserving old-growth forests provides essential habitat for the hairy woodpecker’s survival.

Attracting Woodpeckers to Your Backyard

Want to turn your backyard into a woodpecker haven? Begin by selecting the proper food and feeders to lure Maryland’s seven woodpecker species, from the petite Downy to the magnificent Pileated, into visiting your home habitat for their nutritional requirements.

Choose suet, nuts, and fruit-bearing plants as nutritious offerings. Also, utilize specialized feeders like upside-down styles, tail props, and squirrel guards to best match each bird’s feeding behavior and invite them to dine safely.

Upside-Down Suet Feeders

Hang an upside-down suet feeder designed for smaller woodpeckers before those chickadees and nuthatches gather ’round for their high-energy meal.

• Mesh or small holes prevent larger birds from accessing the suet.
• Hanging hooks or roof mounts keep the feeder secure.
• Easy cleaning and filling allow for simple maintenance.
• Made of weather-resistant cedar, plastic, or metal, the feeder will last.

Upside-down styles let acrobatic clinging while small species dine, supporting the woodpecker population.

Solar Fountain for Bird Bath

Marvel at the soothing water of a solar-powered fountain that bubbles in your birdbath, transforming a mundane bowl into an enchanting oasis that delights your feathery friends. The splashing visual and auditory stimulation entices birds to drink, bathe, and socialize.

However, regular cleaning prevents bacterial buildup and mildew. Mount the lightweight solar panel and waterproof battery box out of reach. Then enjoy nature’s show as birds flit through the rejuvenating spray. With just sun and water, a solar fountain makes your backyard an avian paradise.

Cedar Suet Upside Down Bird Feeder

Enjoy chickadees nibbling this rust-free cedar suet feeder ’round your Maryland backyard. Offering suet cakes upside down deters grackles while attracting acrobatic birds like woodpeckers. They’ll cling, peck, and chatter thanks to tail props. Place it 5-10 feet high near trees, preferably facing cover.

Keep it filled year-round with insect and nut-packed suet to complement the birds’ natural diet of larvae.

Wild Bird Suet Cakes Variety Pack

You’ll see flocks dashing about for the suet cakes’ hearty meal with zero squabbling. The rendered suet nourishes winter birds exceptionally, invigorating their tiny frames. Peanut butter and corn permeate each cake, enticing chickadees and woodpeckers alike.

Hang multiples high and watch the joyous rush commence. Every species finds bliss in their preferred suet cake. Your yard transforms into an avian cafe brimming with delightful diversity. Providing suet nourishes their bodies and your soul.

Mealworm Delight Suet Twelve Pack

You’re thrilled when woodpeckers excitedly devour this natural suet daily. The mealworms entice insect-eating birds while the rendered fat provides essential energy. Offer it year-round to attract chickadees, nuthatches, jays, and woodpeckers. They become hooked on the nutritious cakes.

Enhance your backyard habitat with bird-friendly plants, water sources, feeders, and nest boxes. Embracing opportunities to connect with nature through birdwatching allows wildlife to thrive when cared for properly.

Range Maps of Woodpeckers in Maryland

As an ornithologist, you know Maryland is home to three woodpecker species with bellies and heads in their names that can be found in specific habitats and identified by unique field markings. Look for the red-bellied woodpecker’s zebra-striped back in mature forests. You can also spot the yellow-bellied sapsucker drilling sapwells in young deciduous woods.

Finally, keep an eye out for the red-headed woodpecker’s vibrant crimson crown in open woodlots across the state.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Have you heard the rolling churr-churr-churr call of the red-bellied woodpecker, a black and white barred aggressive feeder in Maryland’s woodlands and forests? This member of the woodpecker family fills its diet with insects, seeds, fruits, and even vertebrates found inhabiting deciduous forests, pine stands, parks, and backyards statewide.

Its long sticky barbed tongue is well-suited for probing crevices in search of tasty ants and beetles. Listen for its rattling drums or watch as it aggressively competes for fruit and suet at feeders.

Observe the white stripes contrasting sharply against an inky black back stretched between a red head and belly.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Look up with eager anticipation as the vibrant, trilling calls of yellow-bellied sapsuckers echo through early spring birch and maple forests. Watch as they drill orderly sap wells into the bark to feed on the flowing sap. Admire their unique tongues adapted with tiny barbs to lap up the sweet syrup.

These striking migrants breed in young deciduous woods before traveling south to their wintering grounds. Although populations remain stable, their reliance on specific nesting habitat makes them vulnerable to forest fragmentation.

With care and protection, sapsuckers and their sap wells may thrive for generations.

Red-headed Woodpecker

Attract this woodpecker with sunflower seeds at feeders. The Red-headed Woodpecker can be found in open woodlands and oak savannas in parts of Maryland.

1. Provide nest boxes to support breeding pairs.
2. Plant native trees like oaks that provide habitat.
3. Offer hulled sunflower seeds on platform feeders.

With a 70% population decline in recent decades, targeted conservation efforts are needed for the Red-headed Woodpecker in Maryland and beyond. Providing food, nest sites, and habitat can help support local populations of this unique bird.

Common Woodpeckers in Maryland

You’ll spot the red heads of these striking birds as they hammer trees for insects. Take a close look at their black and white barred backs and bright red crowns to identify red-headed woodpeckers. Watch them swoop through the air to catch flying insects or store acorns in tree cavities.

Their vocal tchur calls ring sharply as they hunt open farms and pine savannas. However, habitat loss has caused an alarming 70% population decline over fifty years.

Try spotting hairy woodpeckers year-round in woodlands and parks. They sport similar patterns to the smaller downy but with a longer bill. Hairy woodpeckers use their sticky tongues to probe into trees for larvae. Sharp peek calls give away their presence.

Proper habitat and food sources like suet will draw these special woodpeckers to your backyard.

Woodpecker Identification and Behavior

Getting to know woodpecker behavior offers insight into their secret lives. When you hear the rhythmic drumming of a woodpecker, it signals their unique language. Each species drums at a characteristic speed, males drumming to attract mates and defend territory.

You’ll observe woodpeckers busily foraging on trunks and branches – listening for insects, hammering cavities to extract them. Their chisel-like bills and specialized tongues make them consummate insect hunters.

During nesting season, both parents fervently excavate cavities in dead trees and snags to raise young. While some woodpeckers stay put year-round, others migrate seasonally tracking their favorite tree sap or insect prey.

Watch closely to distinguish look-alike species by subtle markings, size, foraging habits and calls.

Experience the Beauty of Woodpeckers in Maryland

Woodpeckers are a thrill to observe in the forests and backyards of Maryland. With some planning, you can easily view these acrobatic birds and attract them to your own backyard habitat.

Tips for Spotting Woodpeckers

You can spy woodpeckers chipping tree bark or probing the ground in Maryland’s open woods and forests. Bring binoculars and a telephoto lens to observe woodpecker behavior and photograph these acrobatic birds up close.

Visit known birding hotspots like Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge to spot Pileated Woodpeckers and other species. Explore forest edges, parks, and backyards where woodpeckers forage. With patience, you’ll discover their beauty and benefit nature through avian conservation.

Enjoying Woodpeckers in Your Backyard

Enjoy the Wonder of Woodpeckers in Your Backyard

Revel in nature’s artistry as woodpeckers brighten your backyard habitat. Attract a diversity of species by offering suet feeders, birdbaths, and native plants. Marvel at their acrobatic antics as they scamper up and down tree trunks and suet cages.

Snap photos of their vibrant plumage and comical behaviors. Thrill to the loud clacking of pileated woodpeckers. Chuckle at the chatter of downy woodpeckers. Savor their charming presence while nourishing your soul.

These energetic birds bring life to backyards when you welcome them by providing suitable habitats and sustenance.

Birdwatching Guide for Maryland

Revel in the beauty of woodpeckers inhabiting Maryland’s diverse habitats through responsible birdwatching. Equip yourself with quality binoculars and a field guide for conclusive identification. Visit deciduous and pine forests, farms, parks, and backyards. Observe nesting behaviors, calls, feeding patterns.

Attract birds using upright suet feeders, fruit plants, and natural water sources. Seek the elusive red-headed, the regal pileated, and tiny downy woodpeckers. With each sighting, your sense of wonder will grow.